Well, turns out that mom did have some empathy for travelers in her after all!
Apparently Zipp had suggested to her that some sort of kindness towards our new visitors would help our friends very much (although she had been careful not to call them such- she wouldn't want to risk being put in, as she put it, 'the loony bin', would she?). And mom had taken this idea to heart, having planned an incredibly elaborate party for them, not to mention a pretty huge meal for them to enjoy.
I won't spend much time going into detail about the meal, as you'd probably find it boring (and your article is probably already pretty long as it is with all these facts and information, right?). Still, it was fun. I think they enjoyed the food, and I got something out of it too.
I got to wear a pretty dress!
This may seem like a weird observation, but somehow becoming a pony finally allowed me to try on these sorts of things, which was great! The medals were less good, but you have to take the good with the bad, amiright?
The end results were also positive. As they were now free to roam about the palace, I had a proper chance to bond with them and learn who they were! This was pretty cool, as you can guess, as actually getting to talk with other characters I admired was absolutely amazing, all within a fictional world most bronies and pegasisters would do anything to visit.
During the week I spent with them, I was able to get some really handy tips and tricks from them in various different fields. For example, I was able to get some new manestyling tips from Izzy, although I didn't have much of a chance to put them into practice.
But the one I arguably got to know the best was Misty. The poor dear seemed so down when I came across her in the gardens one day. She was crying her heart out, convinced that nopony exists who would ever love her.
So, I took her out to look out over the city and into the sky. "That's the world out there," I said. "And I can tell you for a fact that nopony will ever care about you is a lie. There's an old saying that every bread has its cheese."
"What's cheese got to do with this?" Misty asked.
"It means that no matter who we are, there's a pony out there for us, whether a friend or something more," I replied.
"Really?"
"Yes!" I said. "Sometimes it just takes time."
But upon learning she felt she didn't have any friends, I decided to do something about it. I decided then and there to be her friend. A decision I don't regret to this day.
What did it matter that I was a pegasus and she was a unicorn? Friendship is blind, and when we parted that day it was clear Misty was feeling a lot better.
Another day, I was out in town doing a stream when I suddenly got notified of something from Crystal Wonder, Jewelers Royal. Mom gave them a Royal Patronage a while back because they supply us with so much useful stuff in the jewelry department (one of my favorite necklaces came from them). And this links to a cunning plan I had cooked up.
After mom's crown had been stolen, the security had been increased. But what if another thief came along and tried the same trick and got through the defenses and took the crown?
Sorry, that was a long sentence. But it conveys my concerns. My brilliant idea was this; have a fake crown made, stick this fake crown in the vault in mom's bedroom, and put the real one in a place where nopony would think to look. That way, the potential thief would head straight for the vault and take a fake crown home, whilst the real thing is still in the palace! Enemy foiled!
So, I temporarily stopped the stream and headed in with my disguise on to pick it up. I undoubtedly have fans that go to places like Crystal Wonder, Jewelers Royal, so not being recognized was kinda a big deal.
I picked it up, remarkably easily and quickly may I add, and then got on my way back to the palace to start my operation. Once certain mom was away from the room, I popped into her bedroom, opened the vault, and popped the new crown in. I then closed it and put the real crown in a secure place where nopony would look for it. Except those who knew where to look, of course.
That was another task succesfully completed. Another day of sleuthing over, now to move onto the next job!
Mom and I were sharing tea a while later when I decided to decided to reveal something to her.
"You know Zipp, right?"
"Of course I do!" Mom said. "She is your sister, after all. I feel I know her very well."
"I noticed she's spending a lot of time with the others. Almost like... they're her true friends," I said.
Mom nodded, but looked a tiny bit concerned. "Tell nopony else, but I have my doubts about them," she admitted. "The timing of their arrival is a bit odd, to say the least, and as such I want to keep more of an eye on them. If you see anything odd or remotely strange from them, report it to me at once. Understand?"
"Gotcha!" I said, before dipping into some tea. This stuff always helped me relax and stay calm no matter what was going on in the world. We truly did exist in a paradise up on our little rock.
Once this task was completed, I was sure to return to doing what I do best- giving back to my fans and all who support the Royal Family. Which at the time, I thought, was most ponies.
At long last, the great day arrived. The evening of the Royal Celebration was finally upon us, and we were all in a state of readiness for the grand festivities that were to await us. We'd already got our manes and tails done, and I must say mine looked absolutely fab. We then spent much of the day at events, speeches, and we even got to watch a fly-past courtesy of the Air Force! Zipp will be able to fill you in on the specifics of the aircraft and the fly-past. Wait a moment, I forgot. She's in Maretime Bay right now, so won't be back for a while.
So, back to me. I started the evening with my vocal exercises, determined not to strain my voice or go out of tune at the worst possible moment. Luckily it all seemed to be working fine on that front. It was the usual- the 'me me mes', the tongue twisters (I'd gotten pretty good at 'red feather, yellow feather'), and a couple of other ones designed to ensure I was simply in the best condition I could possibly be in for tonight, doing what I do best.
I then made my way for stage makeup. Apart from looking great, it reduces the effect of harsh lighting on the skin and fur which would otherwise make my body look like it was made of pancake batter. Hmm, must have pancakes again some day. Sunny does some pretty nice ones.
Concentrate, Pipp!
I certainly looked a good deal better than I would without it, so it was off to the other rooms for wiring and fitting. The harness was soon in place, and the cables were all fitted and I was good to go. Oddly, though, the engineers decided to lift me up and move me over to where the others were while still suspended. Apparently this was to check the horizontal transit motors or something like that. OK.
I was moved slowly into position, with the equipment stopping me over the pit briefly, before moving me again to one side where Zipp and mom were.
"Ah, there she is!" Mom beamed, with a big grin on her face. "Your sister understands the importance of maintaining the status quo."
"Me me me meeee!" I replied, before being put down on the ground. "I'm good to go!"
"Excellent!" Mom replied, before trotting over to a control panel. She then hit the go button. "Showtime!"
My headset whirred into life as the winding gear engaged. "We are go for launch. Your Highness, the movement patterns have been programmed in and the lighting is set up. Your performance is good to go. Have a nice flight."
"Thanks!" I said. "Break a leg!"
As the cables continued to lower us down, I saw a cheering crowd down below. They were cheering at and for us, which was pretty amazing.
After all, this sort of thing doesn't come around very often. Time to give them the performance of a lifetime!